Which Ford F-150 Engine Is Best? All 5 Powertrains Compared Back-to-Back

[HammaMan]

I'd take the 5.0 in hybrid form over the 3.5s for-sure. Ford's strategy is to run their turbo motors far too rich which is why the ecoboost is either eco, or boost.

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[Samson16]

I'd take the 5.0 in hybrid form over the 3.5s for-sure. Ford's strategy is to run their turbo motors far too rich which is why the ecoboost is either eco, or boost.

The GT40 does ok with a 3.5 twin turbo. I think the 3.5 has been in service for so long the argument is over regarding reliability.

 

[Buyer2021]

'One-size' has never fit everyone best, and that makes contests to name "The Best" of anything a rather silly form of clickbait. Personally I'm loathe to read / watch anything with that claim in the headline.

IMO the bottom line is that "best" depends on the consumer's wants and needs and Ford, at least for the moment, has a pretty impressive linup of engines to satisfy most any preference in the 'half-ton' truck class.

Perhaps a pity that the 3.0 diesel is gone, IMO that does leave one 'gap' in the lineup albeit only attractive to a small niche of the buying market.

Mainly I'm happy for both Ford and we consumers that there doesn't seem to be an inherent lemon among the bunch (that couldn't always be said) and regardless of engine the trucks themselves are pretty fantastic.

One thing I know for certain - Ford managed to deliver "The BEST" damned truck I'VE ever owned (I didn't say "perfect", but it's by far the closest ever in my long life of truck ownership)!

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[huhner5]

Was a V8 guy until I drove a 3.5 eco.. no way I'm going back to an NA engine.. I'll stick with my tune only truck that will run low 12s when I want it to... Last 2 trucks were both 3.5s with tunes.. 150k trouble free miles on ethanol

 

[JExpedition07]

'One-size' has never fit everyone best, and that makes contests to name "The Best" of anything a rather silly form of clickbait. Personally I'm loathe to read / watch anything with that claim in the headline.

IMO the bottom line is that "best" depends on the consumer's wants and needs and Ford, at least for the moment, has a pretty impressive linup of engines to satisfy most any preference in the 'half-ton' truck class.

Perhaps a pity that the 3.0 diesel is gone, IMO that does leave one 'gap' in the lineup albeit only attractive to a small niche of the buying market.

Mainly I'm happy for both Ford and we consumers that there doesn't seem to be an inherent lemon among the bunch (that couldn't always be said) and regardless of engine the trucks themselves are pretty fantastic.

One thing I know for certain - Ford managed to deliver "The BEST" damned truck I'VE ever owned (I didn't say "perfect", but it's by far the closest ever in my long life of truck ownership)!

.

It’s funny you mention that, I believe an admin changed the name of the thread. I titled the thread “All powertrains tested back to back - new video” and woke up to the name being changed this morning to match the video

 

[EricR]

Best motor? The best motor is the one that doesn't throw a con-rod through the block after the factory warranty expires AND comes in a truck that will start and get you back and forth EVERY DAY.

... and a reliable transmission to go with it. One that doesn't eat itself alive at 80k like our RAM 1500 did.

 

[Buyer2021]

It’s funny you mention that, I believe an admin changed the name of the thread. I titled the thread “All powertrains tested back to back - new video” and woke up to the name being changed this morning to match the video

Good on you, sorry you were victimized by a lowest common denominator click-driven headline editor!

 

[Kidder]

In defence of the 3.3L, I recently had it in a rental. It's not going to wow anyone, but it has its own entertainment - it's more fun to drive a slow truck fast than a fast truck slow (especially around here where 50km/h over the limit results in a 30 day suspension and 14 day impound).

My thoughts on powertrains were always:

3.3 - The motor for UHaul fleets.
2.7 - The motor for people who aren't towing anything serious, or commuting.
3.5 - The motor for people who are towing serious weights.
5.0 - The motor everybody wants deep down in their heart.
PB - The motor for people who: Tow really heavy, or want enough electricity to run a county at their fingertips.

Except the PB has such a low payload you can't/shouldn't tow heavy with it. The onboard generator is awesome, that's for sure.

 

[Snakebitten]

Except the PB has such a low payload you can't/shouldn't tow heavy with it. The onboard generator is awesome, that's for sure.

My previous F150 KingRanch Ecoboost had a ~220lb Payload advantage.
I carried a 150lb Yamaha generator and a 5gallons gas can. So add the 5 5gallons of gas + the gas in the generator and it was ~200lbs.

So for me it's pretty much a wash, except the Powerboost is WAY quieter, twice the generator output, and the bed is empty. Winwinwin.

Or put another way, one wasn't a "tow heavy"(er) F150 than the other. Not really.

 

[Kidder]

My previous F150 KingRanch Ecoboost had a ~220lb Payload advantage.
I carried a 150lb Yamaha generator and a 5gallons gas can. So add the 5 5gallons of gas + the gas in the generator and it was ~200lbs.

So for me it's pretty much a wash, except the Powerboost is WAY quieter, twice the generator output, and the bed is empty. Winwinwin.

Or put another way, one wasn't a "tow heavy"(er) F150 than the other. Not really.

Good points and I agree.

 

[MJG44]

My last few trucks were all EB; 2.7s and 3.5s.
The 2.7 was good in terms of power delivery and mileage but I just didn't enjoy the feel of driving it. Felt far too "light" and car-like.

3.5 was plenty powerful and more joyful to drive in comparison to the 2.7 with no real complaints about it.

I then grabbed a '22 5.0 and prefer it over both.
PB I've never driven. I was looking at it but glad I didn't purchase.

 

[HammaMan]

My previous F150 KingRanch Ecoboost had a ~220lb Payload advantage.
I carried a 150lb Yamaha generator and a 5gallons gas can. So add the 5 5gallons of gas + the gas in the generator and it was ~200lbs.

So for me it's pretty much a wash, except the Powerboost is WAY quieter, twice the generator output, and the bed is empty. Winwinwin.

Or put another way, one wasn't a "tow heavy"(er) F150 than the other. Not really.

It's a heavy truck, but the placement of the mass and its added benefit is quite nice. It's got a better weight balance too. Its payload capacity isn't diminished -- its sticker is gimped.

 

[Samson16]

Except the PB has such a low payload you can't/shouldn't tow heavy with it. The onboard generator is awesome, that's for sure.

Depends what you mean by heavy I suppose.
My PB payload # is 1624. I'll be pulling a 26' tandem axle trailer with a 750lb. tongue weight. After accounting for the hitch, bed cover etc., and passengers, I'll still have 350lb. for gear I don't want to stow in the RV.

If I were towing more than that on a regular basis I would have gone with an F250 powerstroke.

I see some crazy F150 payload numbers out there, but do I really want over 2,500lbs. of concrete in the bed of my half-ton? No I do not. The laws of physics still apply regardless of the happy yellow sticker in the door jamb.

 

[Polo08816]

... and a reliable transmission to go with it. One that doesn't eat itself alive at 80k like our RAM 1500 did.

Was that a ZF 8 speed?

 

[Polo08816]

Depends what you mean by heavy I suppose.
My PB payload # is 1624. I'll be pulling a 26' tandem axle trailer with a 750lb. tongue weight. After accounting for the hitch, bed cover etc., and passengers, I'll still have 350lb. for gear I don't want to stow in the RV.

If I were towing more than that on a regular basis I would have gone with an F250 powerstroke.

I see some crazy F150 payload numbers out there, but do I really want over 2,500lbs. of concrete in the bed of my half-ton? No I do not. The laws of physics still apply regardless of the happy yellow sticker in the door jamb.

You might be able to do that if you had the Heavy Duty Payload Package (and its rear leaf spring pack).

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